HOUSTON, TX - JULY 22: Josh Reddick #16 and Brandon Moss #37 of the Oakland Athletics celebrate after Reddick hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on July 22, 2013 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

HOUSTON, TX - JULY 22: Brandon Barnes #2 of the Houston Astros strikes out to end the game with the Astros losing 4-3 to the Oakland Athletics at Minute Maid Park on July 22, 2013 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Photo: Scott Halleran, Getty Images

HOUSTON, TX - JULY 22: Brandon Barnes #2 of the Houston Astros...

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Oakland Athletics' catcher Derek Norris, left, high fives pitcher Grant Balfour, right, after the final out as the Oakland Athletics defeat the Houston Astros 4-3 during a baseball game on Monday, July 22, 2013, in Houston. (AP Photo/Bob Levey)

Photo: Bob Levey, Associated Press

Oakland Athletics' catcher Derek Norris, left, high fives pitcher...

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HOUSTON, TX - JULY 22: Brandon Barnes #2 of the Houston Astros waits in the dugout before game against the Oakland Athletics at Minute Maid Park on July 22, 2013 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Photo: Scott Halleran, Getty Images

HOUSTON, TX - JULY 22: Brandon Barnes #2 of the Houston Astros...

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HOUSTON, TX - JULY 22: Josh Reddick #16 and Seth Smith #15 of the Oakland Athletics celebrate after Reddick hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on July 22, 2013 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Photo: Scott Halleran, Getty Images

HOUSTON, TX - JULY 22: Josh Reddick #16 and Seth Smith #15 of the...

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HOUSTON, TX - JULY 22: Brandon Barnes #2 of the Houston Astros strikes out to end the game with the Astros losing 4-3 to the Oakland Athletics at Minute Maid Park on July 22, 2013 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Photo: Scott Halleran, Getty Images

HOUSTON, TX - JULY 22: Brandon Barnes #2 of the Houston Astros...

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Oakland Athletics' Chris Young receives congratulations from third base coach Mike Gallego after hitting a home run in the seventh inning against the Houston Astros during a baseball game on Monday, July 22, 2013, in Houston. (AP Photo/Bob Levey)

Photo: Bob Levey, Associated Press

Oakland Athletics' Chris Young receives congratulations from third...

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Oakland Athletics' Chris Young makes a running catch at the wall on a fly ball by Chris Carter in the fifth inning during a baseball game on Monday, July 22, 2013, in Houston. (AP Photo/Bob Levey)

Photo: Bob Levey, Associated Press

Oakland Athletics' Chris Young makes a running catch at the wall on...

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HOUSTON, TX - JULY 22: Jonathan Villar #6 of the Houston Astros steals second base in the third inning under the tag of Grant Green #35 of the Oakland Athletics at Minute Maid Park on July 22, 2013 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Photo: Scott Halleran, Getty Images

HOUSTON, TX - JULY 22: Jonathan Villar #6 of the Houston Astros...

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HOUSTON, TX - JULY 22: Jonathan Villar #6 of the Houston Astros rounds third base on the way to scoring a run in the third inning against the Oakland Athletics at Minute Maid Park on July 22, 2013 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Photo: Scott Halleran, Getty Images

HOUSTON, TX - JULY 22: Jonathan Villar #6 of the Houston Astros...

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HOUSTON, TX - JULY 22: Tommy Milone #57 of the Oakland Athletics throws a pitch in the third inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on July 22, 2013 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Photo: Scott Halleran, Getty Images

HOUSTON, TX - JULY 22: Tommy Milone #57 of the Oakland Athletics...

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HOUSTON, TX - JULY 22: Jonathan Villar #6 of the Houston Astros waits on second base in the third inning against the Oakland Athletics at Minute Maid Park on July 22, 2013 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Photo: Scott Halleran, Getty Images

HOUSTON, TX - JULY 22: Jonathan Villar #6 of the Houston Astros...

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Houston Astros' Jose Altuve (27) leaps to avoid Oakland Athletics' Coco Crisp (4) as he throws to first base after forcing Crisp out at second base in the third inning during a baseball game on Monday, July 22, 2013, in Houston. (AP Photo/Bob Levey)

Photo: Bob Levey, Associated Press

Houston Astros' Jose Altuve (27) leaps to avoid Oakland Athletics'...

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Oakland Athletics' Josh Reddick makes a diving catch on a shallow line drive by Houston Astros' Matt Dominguez in the second inning during a baseball game on Monday, July 22, 2013, in Houston. (AP Photo/Bob Levey)

Photo: Bob Levey, Associated Press

Oakland Athletics' Josh Reddick makes a diving catch on a shallow...

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HOUSTON, TX - JULY 22: Tommy Milone #57 of the Oakland Athletics throws a pitch in the first inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on July 22, 2013 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Photo: Scott Halleran, Getty Images

HOUSTON, TX - JULY 22: Tommy Milone #57 of the Oakland Athletics...

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HOUSTON, TX - JULY 22: Dallas Keuchel #60 of the Houston Astros throws a pitch in the first inning against the Oakland Athletics at Minute Maid Park on July 22, 2013 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Photo: Scott Halleran, Getty Images

HOUSTON, TX - JULY 22: Dallas Keuchel #60 of the Houston Astros...

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Oakland Athletics' Tommy Milone throws in the first inning against the Houston Astros during a baseball game on Monday, July 22, 2013, in Houston. (AP Photo/Bob Levey)

Photo: Bob Levey, Associated Press

Oakland Athletics' Tommy Milone throws in the first inning against...

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Houston Astros' Jose Altuve turns a double play in the second inning as Oakland Athletics' Derek Norris attempts to break up the play during a baseball game on Monday, July 22, 2013, in Houston. (AP Photo/Bob Levey)

Photo: Bob Levey, Associated Press

Houston Astros' Jose Altuve turns a double play in the second...

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Oakland Athletics shortstop Jed Lowrie makes a diving stop on a ground ball up the middle in the second inning against the Houston Astros during a baseball game on Monday, July 22, 2013, in Houston. (AP Photo/Bob Levey)

- The Astros are the A's designated pushovers this year, and yet on Monday, Oakland nearly handed a game right to Houston with a simply dreadful night in the field.

The A's made three errors, officially, in the first three innings but it should have been four. Plus, the Astros stole three bases in the same span. Still, the A's managed their standard outcome against Houston, pulling out a 4-3 win, thanks to Josh Reddick's two-run homer in the eighth inning.

Oakland has won all 10 games against the Astros this season.

"I told them, 'We played some kind of ugly for six innings, but we stuck with it,' " Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "That's the overriding feeling. We didn't just put our heads down and say, 'Oh, we're having a bad game.' "

For some reason, Josh Donaldson's misplay on a grounder by Justin Maxwell in the second inning, the ball squirting between his legs, was ruled a double for Maxwell. Maxwell stole third and J.D. Martinez, the next batter, hit a grounder to short, and Jed Lowrie threw poorly to first, another error and a run for Houston.

In the third, Jonathan Villar bunted for his first big-league hit and stole second. With two outs, former A's first baseman Chris Carter singled in Villar, the steal enabling the run.

The next batter, Maxwell, hit a popup toward shallow right-center, and rookie second baseman Grant Green drifted back and appeared to have it in his sights. He pulled up short, though, and the ball fell in right behind him and just in front of Coco Crisp and Reddick. That error was charged to Green as Carter scored.

For the better part of the game, Oakland didn't impress offensively, either, going 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. The A's first run came on a sacrifice fly by Green in the sixth, his first major-league RBI.

Then Chris Young homered off Travis Blackley in the seventh; Young is a .404 lifetime hitter at Minute Maid Park with eight homers and 30 RBIs in 22 games.

"That was a big at-bat. That gave us energy in the dugout," Reddick said. "Especially after leaving so many men on base. ... We weren't going to give up until the end of the game."

"He hasn't been swinging the bat well here recently, but he's still getting walks, getting deep in counts," Melvin said. "He got a 3-2 count, a predictable fastball count, and put his best swing on it when we really needed him."

Reddick said he was actually sitting slider, which he has seen before from Wright, but he got only one in the at-bat. After a check-swing that ran the count full, he said, "I was a little frustrated and had a little talk with myself. Then he threw one down the middle, and I was fortunate I didn't miss it."

Reddick also made the play of the game, a diving, backhand grab on a low liner to right-center by Matt Dominguez in the second inning.

A's starter Tommy Milone went six innings and allowed five hits and three runs, two earned. He walked one and struck out five.